Air carrier medium large transport wrong runway approach at mco.

Attributes
ACN	195564
Time
Date	199111
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mco
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mco
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	195564
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were being vectored for an ILS to runway 17 at mco, heading 100 degree at 5000 ft approximately 10 mi north of the airport. Approach pointed out a widebody transport we would be passing over and asked if we had either the widebody transport or the airport in sight. I had the impression at the time we were going to follow the widebody transport to 17. We were in and out of scattered clouds and said we had neither and asked for lower because we were approximately 2500 ft above the GS intercept. We got beyond the clouds and reported the widebody transport and the airport in sight and were cleared for the visual to 17. I flew through the 17 localizer to lose altitude, and kept the widebody transport in sight who I thought was going to 17 and followed him. The flight guidance panel had indicated localizer cap with full GS deflection, and somewhere after a number of heading updates were made, capture dropped out. The gear was lowered and landing flaps were selected to assist our descent. We finally got on GS about 5 mi out and noticed localizer deflection and realized we were headed for runway 18 and the tower advised us to head back toward 17. Workload was very high, and was made more so by ATC leaving us so high so close in at 80 degrees to the final approach heading.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG WRONG RWY APCH AT MCO.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS TO RWY 17 AT MCO, HDG 100 DEG AT 5000 FT APPROX 10 MI N OF THE ARPT. APCH POINTED OUT A WDB WE WOULD BE PASSING OVER AND ASKED IF WE HAD EITHER THE WDB OR THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I HAD THE IMPRESSION AT THE TIME WE WERE GOING TO FOLLOW THE WDB TO 17. WE WERE IN AND OUT OF SCATTERED CLOUDS AND SAID WE HAD NEITHER AND ASKED FOR LOWER BECAUSE WE WERE APPROX 2500 FT ABOVE THE GS INTERCEPT. WE GOT BEYOND THE CLOUDS AND RPTED THE WDB AND THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO 17. I FLEW THROUGH THE 17 LOC TO LOSE ALT, AND KEPT THE WDB IN SIGHT WHO I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO 17 AND FOLLOWED HIM. THE FLT GUIDANCE PANEL HAD INDICATED LOC CAP WITH FULL GS DEFLECTION, AND SOMEWHERE AFTER A NUMBER OF HDG UPDATES WERE MADE, CAPTURE DROPPED OUT. THE GEAR WAS LOWERED AND LNDG FLAPS WERE SELECTED TO ASSIST OUR DSCNT. WE FINALLY GOT ON GS ABOUT 5 MI OUT AND NOTICED LOC DEFLECTION AND REALIZED WE WERE HEADED FOR RWY 18 AND THE TWR ADVISED US TO HEAD BACK TOWARD 17. WORKLOAD WAS VERY HIGH, AND WAS MADE MORE SO BY ATC LEAVING US SO HIGH SO CLOSE IN AT 80 DEGS TO THE FINAL APCH HDG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.